TF&FNL pt.21
Title: "Whenever God Mia Closes a Door, He Tim Opens a Window."
Rating: Mature (language)
For: Brynwulf ('cause Tim does something naughty this chapter.)
Author's Note: I'm having a muse catfight in my head right now. I've got 3 ideas on where to take this story, but this chapter just flowed out ....
Legalese: TF&TF and FNL copright their respective owners. This is a labor of Love, not Money.
---
An incredible commotion jolted Mia awake shortly after 2 am. The sounds of a scuffle mixed in with swearing and shouts of "Call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1!" echoed through her house.
Mia leapt out of bed and stumbled toward the guest room.
"Hey man, I'm sorry --" Mia recognized that voice. Oh no, he didn't --
"Shut up!"
Sound of a fist connecting with flesh.
"Oww! I thought this was Mia's --" -- oh damn, he did.
Mia collided with Leon in the doorway. She reached in and flipped on the light.
It looked like a tornado had ripped through the room. Topped with a tangle of blankets, the futon mattress lay half off the frame. The lamp and nightstand lay overturned on the floor.
Sean had Tim pinned up against the dresser, arm twisted up and back.
Next to her, Leon had a pistol out, pointed at Tim.
"Jesus, Leon! Put that away!" Mia shrieked. "He's a friend of mine!"
"You sure?"
"Sure?! Leon, I think I know what my friends look like."
Leon shook himself at that, chortled softly at what he had said, and flipped the safety back on before putting the pistol back in his waistband.
Sean very slowly backed away from Tim, releasing his arm at the last moment.
Shakily, Tim stood up, rubbing at his cheek. It was starting to bruise from where it had slammed against the top of the dresser. Mia stepped over to look at it. She smelled liquor on his breath. Sighing, she put an arm around Tim. "Let's get something cold on that, okay?"
Tim gingerly rubbed his cheek again and nodded.
"Leon, Sean," she said, "this is Tim, younger brother of my friend Billy Riggins. You'll be meeting him in a day or two, maybe even sooner. Tim, this is Leon and Sean. They're the kind of guys I was talking about when I told you that inviting yourself into people's houses in the middle of the night could be trouble."
"Noted," Tim mumbled as Mia guided him to the kitchen, rummaged in the freezer, and handed him a bag of peas.
He snorted and gave a lopsided grin.
"Is something funny?"
"Long story." His mouth kept its wry twist, though as he pressed it to his cheek bone.
Tim wasn't nearly as drunk as that time Mia had hauled him home, but he was drunk to the point of trying to act sober. Grrr. "Tim," Mia said, keeping her voice mild, "how did you get here?" Please don't say you drove.
"Herc dropped me here."
Mia blinked.
Tim flashed a big smile then winced as his cheek hurt. "Me and Jay made up," he said. "It's all good. I wanted to tell you first."
Mia made a mental note to tell Herc that the Riggins brothers lived several blocks away next time she saw him. She'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Herc had no idea whose house he had dropped Tim at. "Uh-huh. That's good. I'm happy. Now, let met get dressed and I'll get you home."
Tim frowned. "Don't want to go home. Billy's gonna be pissed at me."
"Gee, I wonder why," Leon drawled.
Mia rolled her eyes at him. "Leon, you're not helping." To Tim she said, "The couch and the futon are taken --"
"There's always your bed," Tim's eyes glowed with meaning, and Mia was glad that Leon and Sean couldn't see them from where they stood, or else they'd know he wasn't joking.
"You're too funny." Acid dripped from her voice. Running a hand through her hair she said, "Look, I'll smooth things over with Billy, okay? But you can't stay here, not tonight."
~oo(0)oo~
"So, who are those guys?" Tim asked as Mia backed her car down the drive.
"Leon -- I've known him for years. He was part of Dom's crew. Sean, I just met this evening. He's … a friend of a friend that Leon's helping out."
"Oh."
They drove in silence for some moments.
"Sorry about all this," Tim murmured.
"It's okay."
"No, Mia, really. I feel like I've totally fucked things up. It's just -- it seemed like the right thing at the time."
Mia smiled at him. "Don't worry, Tim. Everything else that's gotten laid on me this evening, I could use a good laugh. I'll just consider it one of those things that makes you you."
Pause. "And is that good or bad?" His voice was very soft.
"In your case? Both. Sometimes." She reached out to ruffle his hair and got her fingers tangled in the stringy mass. "Okay, but under not good things that make you you, is whatever you're doing to your hair. What the hell do you style it with?"
"Nothing."
"Really?" Pause. An idea occurred to her, and as far fetched as it seemed, she had to ask. "What are you washing it with?"
He gave her a look that said he thought this a very strange topic of conversation. "Soap."
"Yeah, right."
"Serious. Ivory soap."
"And …?"
Dead silence.
"You seriously wash your hair with bar soap?! What about conditioner?"
"Totally. And I use conditioner … when I remember. Don't like the way a lot of it smells."
Mia groaned.
Tim laughed. "I cannot believe you're -- that we're talking about this."
"It explains a lot about why your hair … looks like it does," Mia said dryly. "Ivory soap. Damn, that's rich."
"Why? Shampoo makes me itch like mad."
"Anything else make you itchy like that?"
"Yeah, soft-soap and shower gel do it, too."
"What kind of laundry soap do you use?"
"What? Um, Tide, I think."
"The scented kind?"
"Um, yeah, 'cause we are two guys who tend to play hard and get ripe." Pause. "Seriously, Mia, this isn't anything I'd thought I'd be talking about with you. Not in a million years. My hair is the way it is." Snort. "Deal."
"Do you have lemons or limes at your house?"
Tim laughed again. "Yeah. But only because we have Corona this week. You want one?"
"Not right now, silly. Take a wedge, squeeze it into a small cup of water and pour it over your hair as the final rinse. I think you'll like the results. I know I will."
He laughed again. "Okay."
"I'm serious, humor me."
"Sure." Then. "But humor me back."
"Huh?"
He clapped his hand over hers where it rested on the gear shift. "Don't take me home yet."
"What?"
"Let's go out to the bluffs." His voice climbed a bit hopefully at the end.
"Are you for real?!"
"Absolutely."
A cascade of thoughts tumbled through Mia's head. Weekday night. Leon and Sean at the house. Getting caught. Memories of what Tim could do with his tongue. "Not tonight … but some other night?"
He looked disappointed, but she could tell he probably expected to hear no.
She rounded the corner and parked in front of the house.
"Hey, can I at least get a kiss goodnight?" His voice sent shivers up Mia's spine.
"Not with Billy looking out the window like that."
Tim's head snapped around. "Shit! I didn't think he was going to stay up."
"I'm going to walk you up."
"You don't have to --"
Mia squeezed his hand. "I don't want Billy thinking it was me keeping you up."
"He wont' care if --"
Mia shook her head. "No, Tim, he does. It's part of why he's a friend of mine. He cares. He really does care."
Tim shrugged, opened the door, and strode up the lawn, brushing by Billy without a word.
"Mia? I tried calling your cell a few times, you didn't pick up." Billy said, brow furrowed somewhat ominously.
"Crap. Something came up and I had it turned off. It wasn't me -- he and Jason Street, they went out with Jason's friend Herc earlier this evening. Tim told Herc that my house was his and Herc dropped him there. So, um, here he is."
Billy gave a heavy sigh and scrubbed sleepily at his face. "Y'know, sometimes I wish I could just be a useless fuck like our dad. He'd've just gone to sleep. Weekends I do, but weeknights are different." Pause, then softly, frowning, "Do you know how he got that bruise on his cheek?"
"Yeah. I've got houseguests in for Thanksgiving. Tim climbing through the window surprised the hell out of them."
Billy threw his head back and guffawed. "Shit, I'd've liked to seen that."
"Yeah, it was a rude awakening for everybody involved."
They stood silent for a few moments, and on impulse, Mia gave him a hug, pecking him on the cheek.
Billy looked at her strangely. "Mia?"
"You're good people, Billy Riggins, and don't let anybody tell you different. I'll catch you later, okay?"
---
Chapter20
Rating: Mature (language)
For: Brynwulf ('cause Tim does something naughty this chapter.)
Author's Note: I'm having a muse catfight in my head right now. I've got 3 ideas on where to take this story, but this chapter just flowed out ....
Legalese: TF&TF and FNL copright their respective owners. This is a labor of Love, not Money.
---
An incredible commotion jolted Mia awake shortly after 2 am. The sounds of a scuffle mixed in with swearing and shouts of "Call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1!" echoed through her house.
Mia leapt out of bed and stumbled toward the guest room.
"Hey man, I'm sorry --" Mia recognized that voice. Oh no, he didn't --
"Shut up!"
Sound of a fist connecting with flesh.
"Oww! I thought this was Mia's --" -- oh damn, he did.
Mia collided with Leon in the doorway. She reached in and flipped on the light.
It looked like a tornado had ripped through the room. Topped with a tangle of blankets, the futon mattress lay half off the frame. The lamp and nightstand lay overturned on the floor.
Sean had Tim pinned up against the dresser, arm twisted up and back.
Next to her, Leon had a pistol out, pointed at Tim.
"Jesus, Leon! Put that away!" Mia shrieked. "He's a friend of mine!"
"You sure?"
"Sure?! Leon, I think I know what my friends look like."
Leon shook himself at that, chortled softly at what he had said, and flipped the safety back on before putting the pistol back in his waistband.
Sean very slowly backed away from Tim, releasing his arm at the last moment.
Shakily, Tim stood up, rubbing at his cheek. It was starting to bruise from where it had slammed against the top of the dresser. Mia stepped over to look at it. She smelled liquor on his breath. Sighing, she put an arm around Tim. "Let's get something cold on that, okay?"
Tim gingerly rubbed his cheek again and nodded.
"Leon, Sean," she said, "this is Tim, younger brother of my friend Billy Riggins. You'll be meeting him in a day or two, maybe even sooner. Tim, this is Leon and Sean. They're the kind of guys I was talking about when I told you that inviting yourself into people's houses in the middle of the night could be trouble."
"Noted," Tim mumbled as Mia guided him to the kitchen, rummaged in the freezer, and handed him a bag of peas.
He snorted and gave a lopsided grin.
"Is something funny?"
"Long story." His mouth kept its wry twist, though as he pressed it to his cheek bone.
Tim wasn't nearly as drunk as that time Mia had hauled him home, but he was drunk to the point of trying to act sober. Grrr. "Tim," Mia said, keeping her voice mild, "how did you get here?" Please don't say you drove.
"Herc dropped me here."
Mia blinked.
Tim flashed a big smile then winced as his cheek hurt. "Me and Jay made up," he said. "It's all good. I wanted to tell you first."
Mia made a mental note to tell Herc that the Riggins brothers lived several blocks away next time she saw him. She'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Herc had no idea whose house he had dropped Tim at. "Uh-huh. That's good. I'm happy. Now, let met get dressed and I'll get you home."
Tim frowned. "Don't want to go home. Billy's gonna be pissed at me."
"Gee, I wonder why," Leon drawled.
Mia rolled her eyes at him. "Leon, you're not helping." To Tim she said, "The couch and the futon are taken --"
"There's always your bed," Tim's eyes glowed with meaning, and Mia was glad that Leon and Sean couldn't see them from where they stood, or else they'd know he wasn't joking.
"You're too funny." Acid dripped from her voice. Running a hand through her hair she said, "Look, I'll smooth things over with Billy, okay? But you can't stay here, not tonight."
~oo(0)oo~
"So, who are those guys?" Tim asked as Mia backed her car down the drive.
"Leon -- I've known him for years. He was part of Dom's crew. Sean, I just met this evening. He's … a friend of a friend that Leon's helping out."
"Oh."
They drove in silence for some moments.
"Sorry about all this," Tim murmured.
"It's okay."
"No, Mia, really. I feel like I've totally fucked things up. It's just -- it seemed like the right thing at the time."
Mia smiled at him. "Don't worry, Tim. Everything else that's gotten laid on me this evening, I could use a good laugh. I'll just consider it one of those things that makes you you."
Pause. "And is that good or bad?" His voice was very soft.
"In your case? Both. Sometimes." She reached out to ruffle his hair and got her fingers tangled in the stringy mass. "Okay, but under not good things that make you you, is whatever you're doing to your hair. What the hell do you style it with?"
"Nothing."
"Really?" Pause. An idea occurred to her, and as far fetched as it seemed, she had to ask. "What are you washing it with?"
He gave her a look that said he thought this a very strange topic of conversation. "Soap."
"Yeah, right."
"Serious. Ivory soap."
"And …?"
Dead silence.
"You seriously wash your hair with bar soap?! What about conditioner?"
"Totally. And I use conditioner … when I remember. Don't like the way a lot of it smells."
Mia groaned.
Tim laughed. "I cannot believe you're -- that we're talking about this."
"It explains a lot about why your hair … looks like it does," Mia said dryly. "Ivory soap. Damn, that's rich."
"Why? Shampoo makes me itch like mad."
"Anything else make you itchy like that?"
"Yeah, soft-soap and shower gel do it, too."
"What kind of laundry soap do you use?"
"What? Um, Tide, I think."
"The scented kind?"
"Um, yeah, 'cause we are two guys who tend to play hard and get ripe." Pause. "Seriously, Mia, this isn't anything I'd thought I'd be talking about with you. Not in a million years. My hair is the way it is." Snort. "Deal."
"Do you have lemons or limes at your house?"
Tim laughed again. "Yeah. But only because we have Corona this week. You want one?"
"Not right now, silly. Take a wedge, squeeze it into a small cup of water and pour it over your hair as the final rinse. I think you'll like the results. I know I will."
He laughed again. "Okay."
"I'm serious, humor me."
"Sure." Then. "But humor me back."
"Huh?"
He clapped his hand over hers where it rested on the gear shift. "Don't take me home yet."
"What?"
"Let's go out to the bluffs." His voice climbed a bit hopefully at the end.
"Are you for real?!"
"Absolutely."
A cascade of thoughts tumbled through Mia's head. Weekday night. Leon and Sean at the house. Getting caught. Memories of what Tim could do with his tongue. "Not tonight … but some other night?"
He looked disappointed, but she could tell he probably expected to hear no.
She rounded the corner and parked in front of the house.
"Hey, can I at least get a kiss goodnight?" His voice sent shivers up Mia's spine.
"Not with Billy looking out the window like that."
Tim's head snapped around. "Shit! I didn't think he was going to stay up."
"I'm going to walk you up."
"You don't have to --"
Mia squeezed his hand. "I don't want Billy thinking it was me keeping you up."
"He wont' care if --"
Mia shook her head. "No, Tim, he does. It's part of why he's a friend of mine. He cares. He really does care."
Tim shrugged, opened the door, and strode up the lawn, brushing by Billy without a word.
"Mia? I tried calling your cell a few times, you didn't pick up." Billy said, brow furrowed somewhat ominously.
"Crap. Something came up and I had it turned off. It wasn't me -- he and Jason Street, they went out with Jason's friend Herc earlier this evening. Tim told Herc that my house was his and Herc dropped him there. So, um, here he is."
Billy gave a heavy sigh and scrubbed sleepily at his face. "Y'know, sometimes I wish I could just be a useless fuck like our dad. He'd've just gone to sleep. Weekends I do, but weeknights are different." Pause, then softly, frowning, "Do you know how he got that bruise on his cheek?"
"Yeah. I've got houseguests in for Thanksgiving. Tim climbing through the window surprised the hell out of them."
Billy threw his head back and guffawed. "Shit, I'd've liked to seen that."
"Yeah, it was a rude awakening for everybody involved."
They stood silent for a few moments, and on impulse, Mia gave him a hug, pecking him on the cheek.
Billy looked at her strangely. "Mia?"
"You're good people, Billy Riggins, and don't let anybody tell you different. I'll catch you later, okay?"
---
Chapter20